Big turnaround: a promising goalie suddenly becomes available and the Montreal Canadiens are linked to young Erik Portillo
According to what was just reported by the reputable Jeff Marek of Sportsnet, the Buffalo Sabres are reportedly unable to sign their promising young goaltender Erik Portillo.
Portillo, a third-round pick of the team in 2019, has impressive NCAA stats:
- 4 wins and 1 loss, 1.67 GAA and .935 SVR in 2020-21
- 31 wins and 10 losses, 2.14 GPA and .926 efficiency rate in 2021-22
- 11 wins and 6 losses, 2.77 average and 0.911 efficiency rate in 2022-23.
So this young talent will obviously become free as a bird next summer, and he will be extremely coveted. However, instead of losing him without receiving anything in exchange, the Sabres could decide to trade him now.
The 6-foot-6, 224-pound monster is 22 years old and has the makings of a potential future goalie for an NHL franchise.
The team already has Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie under contract, not to mention Devon Levi who is in their fold.
Portillo will try his luck elsewhere, and his name has already been linked to the Montreal Canadiens:
More details to follow. Would you like Kent Hughes to ask about Portillo?
| POLL | ||
Do you think Portillo would instantly become the Habs' best young goalie? | ||
| Yes | 216 | 71.8 % |
| No | 85 | 28.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
